Former US Navy sailor, 25, gets over 16 years' jail for selling military secrets to China

A former United States (U.S.) sailor was sentenced to 200 months of jail on Jan. 12 after he was found guilty of selling sensitive military information to China.

In a press release on Jan. 12, the U.S. Department of Justice said that Jinchao Wei, or Patrick Wei, had sold information pertaining to the U.S. Navy and its vessels to an intelligence officer working for China in exchange for US$12,000 (S$15,459).

The China-born sailor was arrested while on the way to work in August 2023 and later convicted of six offences in August 2025.

Sent images and information of ships to Chinese intelligence officer

According to the Justice Department, Wei had been recruited in February 2022 by an intelligence officer from China who originally pretended to be a naval enthusiast working for a state-owned Chinese shipbuilding company.

Despite his own suspicions about the officer's identity, he maintained contact through encrypted platforms and started spying for the officer.

Between March 2022 and August 2023, Wei supplied photographs and videos of U.S. Navy ships, disclosed their locations, revealed the defensive weapons, and shared details of technical problems on vessels based in San Diego and more.

He also sent technical and operational data taken from restricted computer systems.

In one of his largest disclosures, Wei sold at least 30 technical and operating manuals, many bearing export-control warnings, detailing systems including power, steering, weapons control, aircraft elevators and damage control.

In total, he provided about 60 manuals, along with dozens of photographs and documents, in exchange for payments over 18 months.

Wei referred to the intelligence officer as "Big Brother Andy" and was offered incentives, including a proposed trip to China.

He was ultimately arrested in August 2023 as he arrived for work aboard the assault ship U.S.S. Essex in San Diego.

According to The New York Post, Wei had told a friend that an "extremely suspicious" individual had offered him $500 a day to engage in, what he said, was "quite obviously f–king espionage.”

"Betrayed his country"

Wei's actions drew strong criticism from multiple authorities.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that he had "betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the U.S."

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Wei had "made a mockery" of his commitments in the service after choosing to sell military secrets for personal profit.

"Wei betrayed the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. Navy by knowingly transmitting sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer," said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.

Wei was found guilty of six offences, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of defence-related technical data.

He was acquitted on one count of naturalisation fraud.

Wei's case marked the first time espionage had been charged in the district.

Top photos via New York Post & Canva